A fast, old-fashioned Apple Berry Crumble that combines apples and berries with a buttery streusel crumb topping. Use fresh berries and apples, or make it "semi-homemade" with frozen berries and a can of apple pie filling. So easy, so good.
Ingredients
Berries—frozen or fresh, mixed or your choice
Apples—pie filling or fresh apples with sugar, flour, and cinnamon
Sugar
Crumble topping—flour, sugar, cinnamon, butter
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It's a perfect recipe for seasonal fruit. During late summer, make apple blueberry crumble or try raspberries, blackberries, or strawberries.
Do it quick and easy with only a 10-minute preparation using frozen berries and pie filling. Or spend a few more minutes using fresh fruit and apples.
👨🍳How to Make Apple Berry Crumble
Preheat the oven to 350°.
Prepare the crumble topping. Combine 1 cup of all-purpose flour, ½ cup of brown sugar, and ½ teaspoon of cinnamon. Melt 1 stick (½ cup) of butter in the microwave and mix it into the dry mixture.
To use fresh apples instead of pie filling: Peel and slice apples. Use 4 large or 5-6 medium apples to make about 5 cups of apple slices. Mix ¾ cup of sugar, 4 tablespoons flour, 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Coat the apple slices with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. Sprinkle with the sugar mixture and stir to coat.
In a large mixing bowl, combine 4 cups of fresh berries (two 12 oz bags of frozen berries), one 21 oz can of apple pie filling (or the fresh apple mixture), ⅓ cup sugar, and 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon.
Pour the berry mixture into an 8 by 8 or 6 by 9 baking dish. Top with the crumb mixture.
Bake for 45 minutes until golden brown.
Allow to cool for a few minutes and serve warm with ice cream or whipped cream.
For more details, keep reading. See the Recipe Card below for complete instructions and to print.
🍎Using fresh apples
To use fresh apples: Peel and slice apples. Use 4 large or 5-6 medium apples to make 5-6 cups of apple slices. Mix ¾ cup of sugar, 4 tablespoons flour, 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Coat the apple slices with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. Sprinkle with the sugar mixture and stir to coat.
Granny Smith and Gala apples are both excellent choices. Cortland, Ida Red, Honey Crisp, or Roma also work well. Or mix your apples, but use the apples you love. Red Delicious or Macintosh apples may have some texture problems when cooked.
This recipe defaults to a can of apple pie filling. Many, including me, would prefer fresh apples.
What berries to use?
This is the perfect recipe to use for seasonal berries. They need to be not too big, so strawberries should be cut up some. Fresh blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries will all work well, but you may need to adjust the sugar.
Frozen berries are fine, and the step-by-step photos are with a frozen mix berry mix.
Variations and options
Use peach instead of apple pie filling.
To the streusel crumb topping, add a quarter cup of sliced almonds, chopped walnuts, chopped pecans, or quick oats. You should cut back the flour by the amount of nuts or oats you add. With the oats, you can call it a proper apple berry crisp.
Use brown sugar for half the sugar to change the flavor of the apple filling.
Add ¼ teaspoon of vanilla or allspice to the filling for different flavors.
📖Crisp/Crumble Recipes
I always think of crisp and crumble recipes as easier pies. Check out Small Batch Apple Crisp, Crock Pot Apple Crisp, and Berry Crisp for Two.
↕️How to make this a "for two" or "family size " recipe
The full recipe makes about 6 servings. Perfect for our "for two" household since we overeat and love leftovers. It fits in a 6 by 9 or 8 by 8 baking dish.
- Use the recipe card and adjust the number of servings.
- Use the amount of ingredients in the ingredient list, not the instructions—those do not adjust.
- The half recipe will fit in a 6-inch round pan. Or will fit in two or three ramekins for individual servings.
- A double recipe fits in a 9 by 13 casserole or cake pan.
- Cook until browning edge and tender pasta, a little longer for double and less for half recipe. Just watch the topping browning and bubbling along the edge.
Making ahead
Fresh baked is best. So to make ahead, mix the streusel topping and refrigerate in an airtight container for up to a week. Mix the filling up to two days ahead, then seal it in an airtight container and refrigerate.
You can also bake ahead and reheat in a 300° oven for 10-15 minutes.
Serving
Serve hot topped with whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla or butter pecan ice cream.
Storing leftovers
Good refrigerated for 2-3 days or frozen for 2-3 months. Reheat in the oven.
❓FAQs
Yes, use any fruit-based pie filling you want.
No, but you can if you wish.
🍮Cobblers, Crumbles, vs. Crisps
Cobblers have a biscuit or cake topping.
Crumbles and crisps are commonly used interchangeably. The differentiating factor is crisps have oats in the topping and crumble do not. This seems to be not widely accepted. So, I call this a crumble, but if you prefer, use crisp.
This recipe is listed in these categories. See them for more similar recipes.
Have you tried this recipe, or have a question? Join the community discussion in the comments.
📖 Recipe
Apple Berry Crumble
Ingredients
Crumble topping
- 1 cup flour
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ cup butter - one stick
Filling
- 21 oz apple pie filling - one can
- ⅓ cup sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoon cinnamon - less is ok
- 4 cups Fresh or frozen berries - mixed, blueberries, or others.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°.
- Prepare the crumble topping. Combine 1 cup of all-purpose flour, ½ cup of brown sugar, and ½ teaspoon of cinnamon. Melt 1 stick (½ cup) of butter in the microwave and mix it into the dry mixture.
- To use fresh apples instead of pie filling: Peel and slice apples. Use 4 large or 5-6 medium apples to make about 5 cups of apple slices. Mix ¾ cup of sugar, 4 tablespoons flour, 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Coat the apple slices with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. Sprinkle with the sugar mixture and stir to coat.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine 4 cups of fresh berries (two 12 oz bags of frozen berries), one 21 oz can of apple pie filling (or the fresh apple mixture), ⅓ cup sugar, and 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon.
- Pour the berry mixture into an 8 by 8 or 6 by 9 baking dish. Top with the crumb mixture.
- Bake for 45 minutes until golden brown.
- Allow to cool for a few minutes and serve warm with ice cream or whip cream.
Your Own Private Notes
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips
- This works fine in an 8 by 8 or 9 by 6 baking dish. You can use a 9-inch round also. A 9 by 9 will just be thinner but taste fine.
- A double recipe will fit nicely in a 9 by 13 cake pan. For a half recipe, please see the discussion in the post.
- If you don't want to do the crumble topping, then use one tube of sugar cookie dough crumbled up.
- Make ahead instructions are in the post.
- Good refrigerated for 2-3 days and frozen for 2-3 months.
To adjust the recipe size:
You may adjust the number of servings in this recipe card under servings. This does the math for the ingredients for you. BUT it does NOT adjust the text of the instructions. So you need to do that yourself.
Nutrition Estimate
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Originally Published June 26, 2016. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.
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